Taliban’s political stature rises amongst talks inward Uzbekistan
ISLAMABAD (AP) — In a rare diplomatic foray in addition to the strongest sign all the same of increasing Taliban political clout inward the region, the caput of the insurgents’ political share led a delegation to Uzbekistan to run across senior Foreign Ministry officials there, Uzbek in addition to Taliban officials said. Taliban political main Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai represented the insurgents inward the four-day talks that ended on Fri in addition to included meetings amongst Uzbekistan’s Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov equally good equally the country’s special instance to Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan Ismatilla Irgashev. The meetings follow an offering made past times Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev inward March to broker peace inward Afghanistan.
Suhail Shaheen, spokesman for the Taliban’s political share inward Qatar, said inward a contestation to The Associated Press on Sabbatum that discussions covered everything from withdrawal of international troops from Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan to peace prospects in addition to possible Uzbek-funded evolution projects that could include railway lines in addition to electricity.
Shaheen said Uzbek officials discussed their safety concerns surrounding the evolution projects.
“The Taliban also exchanged views amongst the Uzbek officials almost the withdrawal of the unusual troops in addition to reconciliation inward Afghanistan,” he said inward the statement.
Uzbek’s Foreign Affairs Ministry website offered a terse annunciation on the visit, maxim “the sides exchanged views on prospects of the peace procedure inward Afghanistan. ”
Still, the meetings are significant, coming equally the Taliban are ramping upwards clitoris per unit of measurement area on Afghan safety forces amongst relentless in addition to deadly attacks. Washington has held preliminary talks amongst the insurgents inward an endeavor to abide by a negotiated terminate to Afghanistan’s protracted war.
The Taliban convey gained increasing attending from Russian Federation equally good equally Uzbekistan, which sentiment the insurgency equally a bulwark against the spread of the Islamic State grouping inward Afghanistan. The the States has defendant Moscow of giving weapons to the Taliban.
Still, Andrew Wilder, vice president of Asia programs at the States Institute of Peace said Washington would welcome a “constructive” Russian operate inward finding a agency toward a peace pact inward Afghanistan.
“What wouldn’t last helpful would last if the Uzbek efforts to facilitate lines of communication amongst the Taliban are non closely coordinated amongst the Afghan government,” he said.
“High profile talks past times unusual governments amongst the Taliban that exclude the Afghan regime adventure providing also much legitimacy to the Taliban without getting much inward return,” Wilder said.
On Sunday, Ehsanullah Taheri, the spokesman of Afghanistan’s High Peace Council, a wide-encompassing torso tasked amongst finding a path to peace amongst the government’s armed opponents, said Uzbek officials had the Afghan government’s approving for the meeting.
“Afghan regime welcomes whatever get regarding the Afghan peace process, especially those attempts which tin Pb us to an Afghan-owned in addition to Afghan-led peace process,” said Taheri.
Still, at that topographic point was no indication from either side that progress toward noun talks betwixt the Taliban in addition to the regime was made.
For Uzbekistan, the IS presence is peculiarly worrisome equally hundreds of its fighters are one-time members of the radical Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, a declared terrorist grouping considered the architect of to a greater extent than or less of the to a greater extent than horrific attacks carried out past times IS inward Afghanistan.
Last year, at that topographic point were reports that the boy of Tahir Yuldashev, the powerful Uzbek leader of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, who was killed inward a States missile strike inward Islamic Republic of Pakistan inward 2009, was leading efforts to assist expand IS influence inward Afghanistan.
Last week, Afghan safety forces reportedly rescued scores of Afghan Uzbeks who had declared their allegiance to IS when they came nether assail past times Taliban fighters inward northern Afghanistan, non far from the edge amongst Uzbekistan. The rescued Uzbek warriors later declared they would bring together the peace process.
Most of those rescued were Afghan Uzbeks loyal to Afghanistan’s Vice President Rashid Dostum who moisture over in addition to joined IS after Dostum brutal out amongst Afghan President Ashraf Ghani in addition to fled to Turkey inward May final twelvemonth to alive inward self-imposed exile there.
Coincidentally, the rescue of Afghan Uzbeks from the battle amongst the Taliban came merely days after Dostum returned to Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan in addition to reconciled amongst Ghani’s government.
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